In mobility equipment, which intervention helps reduce skin shear during transfers?

In mobility equipment, which intervention helps reduce skin shear during transfers?

• A. Use of transfer boards only
• B. Using a tight, single-use sheet
• C. Transferring without friction-reducing devices
• D. Using a friction-reducing device like a slide sheet

Answer: (D)

Reducing skin shear during transfers comes from minimizing the resistance between the patient’s skin and the surfaces they move across. A friction-reducing device like a slide sheet creates a smoother, low-friction layer, so the caregiver can glide the patient rather than drag them. This distributes forces over a larger area and lowers the peak forces on bony areas, especially around the sacrum and heels, which are most at risk for skin injury during transfers. Other options don’t lower friction effectively, so they fail to minimize shear. Using a slide sheet is the best choice to protect the skin during transfers.

Reducing skin shear during transfers comes from minimizing the resistance between the patient’s skin and the surfaces they move across. A friction-reducing device like a slide sheet creates a smoother, low-friction layer, so the caregiver can glide the patient rather than drag them. This distributes forces over a larger area and lowers the peak forces on bony areas, especially around the sacrum and heels, which are most at risk for skin injury during transfers. Other options don’t lower friction effectively, so they fail to minimize shear. Using a slide sheet is the best choice to protect the skin during transfers.